In the months since Barack Obama reached a deal with the Taliban to release Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for letting five dangerous terrorists escape custody in Guantanamo Bay, the administration’s willingness to negotiate with the brutal militants has drawn widespread criticism.

Not only has Bergdahl since been labeled a deserter, if not a traitor to his country; the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office reported that the deal clearly violated federal law.

Perhaps the most devastating result of the entire ordeal, however, is the message Obama’s negotiation sent to terrorist networks around the world. House Intelligence Chair Mike Rogers asserted shortly after Bergdahl’s release that the precedent set by Obama would make kidnapping Americans more attractive to our enemies.

“I’m extremely troubled that the United States negotiated with terrorists and agreed to swap five senior Taliban leaders who are responsible for the deaths of many Americans,” he asserted in a statement. “This fundamental shift in U.S. policy signals to terrorists around the world a greater incentive to take U.S. hostages.”

He predicted that the decision would have deadly repercussions for American citizens for years to come.

House Intel Chair Mike Rogers on Bergdahl swap: “I believe this decision will threaten the lives of American soldiers for years to come.”

In recent days, the tragic realization that U.S. citizens continue to face serious threats internationally became all too clear. When New Hampshire native James Foley was killed by Islamic State terrorists in a recorded execution, the organization made it clear that another American, Steven Sotloff, remained in its custody and could well face a similar fate.